RANCHI, Feb. 8 -- The elections to 48 urban local bodies across the state have now turned into a triangular contest, with the two principal allies of the ruling INDIA bloc, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress, officially extending support to candidates for key posts in most municipal institutions.

Scheduled for February 23, with results four days later, the municipal elections in the state are being conducted after five years and, in a departure from the past, the polls are being held on a non-party basis. However, all the mainstream parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is considered strong in the urban pockets of the state, the Congress, and the JMM, have announced support for specific candidates in t...